Chapter 18 Learn to ride
"I'll Take a Potato Chip and EAT IT!"
Light Yagami eating chips (Death Note)
=======
(Einar's POV)
"Such nice weather."
I took a deep breath of fresh air and smiled under the warm sunlight. If you think what is the best part of early ages then it would be the clean atmosphere.
"This guardian is really nice. I will call you Mono." I said to the giant stuffed bear that I was sitting on its shoulders.
[Chastiefol second form- Guardian:
Guardian is a big 8 meters tall stuffed bear by shape-shifting the moss that grows along its body. While in this form the moss body will parry any physical attack, but can also be directly controlled by the host to fight or immobilize enemies with its four arms. Due to the high water concentration within the moss, it is highly resistant to fire; however, because of this quality, it bears a weakness against cold and freezing attacks. Additionally, the form's soft, fluffy body allows it to resist blunt force attacks.
However, any of those weaknesses could be nullified by the host's enchantment magic.]
So yeah, not long ago, I unlocked this form and now I was strolling in the vicinity planes near Ector's house. It had the best defense and was quite good with chores as I could control its size from 1 to 8 meters. It also had its own intelligence that prioritizes my protection above everything else.
After some more tests, I came across a stable and saw a blond hair girl combing her favorite horse. I dematerialized Guardian and then erased my presence by minimizing the sound and other factors that are noticeable and walked near her stealthily.
"Ito, sorry for not combing you yesterday. Einar prepared a new cuisine called hot pot so I have to try it since I didn't want to break my best friend's heart."
Neeeiiiigh!
Her hose named Ito neighed when she mentioned my name. That horse clearly hated me since she started to pay more attention to me than her horse but her habit of talking to her horse didn't get away because of her lonely previous nature.
"And guess what he also unlocked a new function of his weapon. I am so happy that he was getting strong."
Neeeeiiiigh!
Ito whined again clearly displeased by Artoria talking about me.
"You really miss me a lot that you are talking to a horse." I decided to reveal myself.
"Ah, Einar, you scared me. How long were you standing there?" She startled a little and asked.
"Just when you were talking how handsome I look and you can only admire me from distance to-"
"Okay stop. I get it!" She cut me off with an embarrassed face. It was my third time catching her talking to herself.
Neigh! Ito also whined like saying that, 'Yeah get lost.'
"How did you manage to appear like that?"
"Just some magic silly thing. Be careful since you could be assassinated."
"Assassinated?"
"Oh forget about it."
I forgot that Hassan-I-Sabbah and his organization hadn't been born yet so the term 'Assassination'.
"By the way wanna take a ride on my guardian?"
"Nah… I have my Ito. So I will pass. By the way, I have never seen you ride a horse?" She asked and my mood immediately changed to a stiff expression.
"W-well I have my… circumstances," I answered with a stutter.
Her airheaded smile turned into a grin for a second then reverted back to normal as she spoke, "What would be those?"
"You see they are jealous of my little dragon. You have seen it so you should know how big my little brother is, right?" I said with a silly smile.
She coughed with tinted cheeks then asked seriously, "Please don't use vulgar words. It is fine if you don't want to share it with your best friend…"
She then made a sad expression. It is one of Artoria's best friend card that she used to thre- force me on her demands.
"Wait no! Well, the thing is…"
(Flashback start!)
(3rd person's POV)
A boy and a horse could be seen alone in a green field. You could say that they were ready for a voyage across the planet just by looking at the boy's confident smile.
"Who said that riding a horse is an art?!!" The boy named Einar Sirius du lac addressed a certain incubus who was not there at the moment.
Neigh!
The horse standing beside him also whined but he was looked a little displeased with the person about to ride him.
"Haha! Yeah, it's child's play. How could this oversize animal even harm me?" Einar said then jumped on the horse using magic and able to land on its back safely.
Neigh!
Horsed whined again and tried to shook Einar but the boy was strongly holding the halter.
"You stupid horse, you think you are better than me?" Einar smirked and pulled the halter with all his might startling the horse to first stand upper legs then used that inertia to jump using lower body.
"Huh?" Before he knew he was already in the air but the adventure didn't end there as the horse used the force to generated from front legs then using the same force on back legs kicking right on Einar's jaw sending him flying in the air.
"Team Rocket is blasting off again!"
Fatality!!
(Flashback ends!)
(Einar's POV)
Neighhahaha!
"Pff!"
"Oi, I told you not to laugh, and what with that horse's stupid chuckle?" I retorted and crossed my arms.
"Sorry, my bad. How about I teach you to ride a horse?" She offered with a smile.
"Can you?"
"Of course. Leave it to me!"
---
We came to an open field where there was no one to been except me, Artoria, and her horse Ito.
"We should have change the horse?"
"It's okay, Ito is a gentle horse."
Neigh!
She said then climbed on Ito's back and offered her hand. I hesitated for a moment since I was still a little scared of horses but after seeing her assuring smile, I took her hand and climbed.
I, however, hugged her tightly with closed eyes when I heard her cry.
"Kya!"
"What happened?" I asked confusedly opening my eyes then squeezing something small yet soft.
"Y-your hands…" She said with rosy cheeks pointing my hands grabbing her chest.
"What a wonderful- I mean I AM SO SORRY, ARTORIA!" I immediately apologized and let go of her tiny breasts but not before squeezing for one last time. I didn't want to be perceived as a pervert taking advantage of her. Although I appeared naked in front of her, it was unintentional and I didn't use that moment to take advantage of her.
"I-its okay. Be careful in the future." She smiled and patted my head with a twitching face. Another advantage of being shota and having a cute face. "Watch me how I handle it while also giving you instructions."
"Umu!" I nodded.
(Somewhere between 37 and 68 AD in Rome in the distant past.)
"Huh, who nodded with my signature catchphrase to a girl who is a cheap copy of mine?"
A certain blond hair girl said waking up from her nap on the throne and looking around but there was no one in her glorious castle.
"Must be imagining. Umu Umu~"
(Back to the main story.)
Artoria then started to ride and instructed me on the basics of riding a horse from checking all belts tied around the horse's head to some parts where a horse gets emotional sometimes because of some kind of disease or pain from horseshoes.
"Now try it out."
She asked me to sit in front and hold the halter. After gaining a little bit of confidence, I moved in front and then sit holding the halter. After one final breath of confidence, I shook the halter lightly and Ito started to move slowly.
"Artoria, look, it is moving! I am actually riding a horse!" I exclaimed to my heroine sitting on my back while my eyes were on the front.
"Good job Einar. Nothing is impossible. You just have to work hard and take some risk." She smiled and patted my head.
"Thanks, Artoria. I will keep on those words." I said then keep on shaking halter at her instruction and control the horse.
Artoria just sighed with a helpless smile and hugged me softly and without saying words, we enjoyed our peaceful time.
---
Later on, dusk when the sun was falling asleep, I knocked on the door of her room.
"Oh, it's you Einar. Do you want to say something?" She opened the door and asked while offering to enter but I refused.
"No… it's just that I want to give you something as an appreciation for all of your efforts in training me and teaching me new things." I said then opened the book of Chastiefol.
"It's fine, Einar. You have also helped in many ways more than what I did and besides, we are friends so it's natural to help each other out, right?"
"Whoa! I didn't know Merlin could teach something about friendship stuff and where did you hear those lines?"
"Come on! Don't spoil the mood." She retorted and puffed her cheeks.
"Haha, my bad. Anyway, here it is for you." I took out something and gave it to her.
"As I said it's… fine…. What is this?" Her words stopped in the middle as she asked unfolding a brown warm and fluffy sweater with the hood of a lion face.
"It's sleepwear that I made for you. It has a special enchantment that I added that will keep your temperature whether in cold or hot weather and since you like lions, I added lion shape." I explained.
"Wow! It's so awesome! I mean you shouldn't have to concern yourself for me." Although she was excited looking at her new lion pajamas, she was still reluctant to accept such an expensive gift since magical items could be called national treasures from their utility.
"Now you will be hurting my pride and discouraging my hard work by saying this. Just accept and show me how do you look." I explained and she finally accepted it.
She then came out with an embarrassed face looking cute in her new pajamas. She was looking exactly like lion king Artoria from Carnival Phantasm and looking very adorable.
"H-how do I look?" She asked with a flustered face.
"Very cute, Artoria. Just like the lion king." I said and nodded with a smile. "Do you like it?"
"Yeah very much." She nodded then looked at me to thank me hesitantly before leaping forward for a light hug, "Thanks, Einar."
"You're welcome, Artoria," I replied with the same warm embrace in return with my head on her chest and arms around her waist.
"Einar, your hands." She then spoke coldly.
"Oops, my bad." I moved my hand back to her waist just when it touched her butt.
---
Dont even think about leaving without dropping Power Stones.
1k power stones/ 2 chapters in the end of week.
1.4k power stones/ 3 chapters in the end of week.
Is that called robing? Hell yeah!
Thank you~
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